Tag: lgbt love

I’m really just a fellow who gets paid to translate what other people find. I ordinarily try to save my insane ranting for grant proposals.

Title: BalefileAuthor: Jordan L. HawkSeries: Whyborne & Griffin #10Number of pages: 240 (paperback edition)Good things about this book: There’s more mysteries and more danger!Bad things about this book: I still want Whyborne to learn more about using magic. He still uses almost always the same spells!!Do I recommend it? I always recommend Whyborne & Griffin books!Rate: 5/5

After nine books I thought I knew exactly where the story was going. Guess I was wrong. These books never cease to surprise me. Whyborne has grown a lot since book one. He isn’t as afraid to put himself in danger to safe the people he loves, he knows what he wants and he gets it! The only thing he doesn’t know is more spells; the man needs to study more if he wants to save the world!

At first I was a bit weirded out about Griffin’s chapters. I was really used to only seeing the story from Whyborne’s side that seeing the story from Griffin’s point of view and reading what was going in his head made me a bit scared. What if he was thinking something I didn’t like about Whyborne? The man can be whiny but I love him and I want to protect him. Luckily, that didn’t happen and I came to like Griffin’s chapters, even more now that he can see magic and actively helps Whyborne with the magic stuff.

The gang is in some island I don’t remember the name of, in the UK, and they’re unwillingly helping Whyborne’s hateful cousins, the Endicotts. Every time they call my Whyborne a monster, I just want to slap them in the face and stare at them angrily until they apologize.

Nice twists and surprises in this penultimate adventure of Whyborne & Griffin, and the gang. What is going to happen in the last book?? I’m afraid to find out but I’m sure it’ll be good!! I need a happily ever after and an epilogue with all the them in love and safe!

Title: Heartstopper (Vol.1 & 2)Author: Alice OsemanNumber of pages: 278 & 315 (paperback edition)Good things about this book: This is one of the sweetest coming of age stories I’ve ever read.Bad things about this book: Nothing. Alice spoils us with new content very often.Do I recommend it? Yes, always.Rate: 5+++/5 (this is a fav series)

I haven’t posted a review in MONTHS! I’ve read tons of books but I’ve also been through a few reading slumps. These months have been weird. If you follow me on instagram, my bookstagram account is very active and I update it daily.

So I got the second volume of Heartstopper yesterday and, even if I’m up to date with the webcomic, being a patron and all that, I decided to read it immediately. I just love these kids so much. They are relatable, have real problems, aren’t romanticized in any way, they just are teenagers having issues you may or may not have had when you were in your teens.

In the first volume we saw how Charlie and Nick started being friends, best friends, and how Nick started feeling a deeper connection. In volume 2 we see how this deeper thing is explored and how this revelation will affect both Charlie and Nick. Knowing what is going to happen, I’m calm about everything, but I still worry about them. They are adorable and should be protected. The bullies can just go away and never come back. Why do bullies exist, btw? I don’t get it!

At the end of volume 2 there was the special chapter of how two other very sweet characters met: Darcy and Tara. It was so cute! I want more.

Please follow Alice Oseman’s instagram, support her, support her work, and read her books. They are worth it! Tomorrow there’s going to be the title and cover reveal of he 4th book! I’m excited!!!!

Title: Play It AgainAuthor: Aidan WayneRelease date: April 22nd 2019Number of pages: 288 (kindle edition)Good things about this book: It was simple and enjoyable.Bad things about this book: Too many “how to get famous” chat.Do I recommend it? Yes, it was fun.Rate: 4/5

This was such a pleasant book with no drama, quite cheesy, and just plain nice. Exactly what to read when you want things to start and end well, with no unnecessary obstacles!

Dovid’s name was distracting a bit because I still don’t know if I’m pronouncing it well in my head. I can relate a bit because my name is mispronounced and miswritten a lot!

I liked the calm and quiet of the romance. Just like it’d happen in real life. Getting to really know each other, understanding that you care way more than just a friend, exploring what this means, accepting the risks, being just happy to have each other, no matter the distance.

There were a little too many “how to be famous on the internet” chat: they were constantly talking about what to do to be rich and famous. At some point I was rolling my eyes because we didn’t get much info about the characters but now I know exactly what to do to earn money making youtube videos.

I’d recommend it.

All in all, this was a pretty book. Simple, the way I like it. Sometimes you just want to enjoy a book with nice characters, having a drama free life, and smile a little at the happy ending.

Title: Last Seen LeavingAuthor: Caleb RoehrigNumber of pages: 352 (paperback edition)Good things about this book: I wanted to know more and more, I couldn’t stop reading.Bad things about this book: Flynn’s lies were a little irritating.Do I recommend it? Yes.Rate: 5/5

As good as I expected it to be. I kept wondering what happened to January, Flynn’s girlfriend, and I kept being on edge about Flynn lying and keeping an important part of himself hidden, a part he just wasn’t ready to tell the world.

I kind of love seeing teenagers getting justice with their own hands because their truths can’t be shared with the police and they think they can do better jobs at finding the bad guys and get them arrested. It’s fun because, in reality, it can’t happen without real consequences, but in fiction it’s all allowed, and I love it. Give me teenage vigilantes!

Flynn is a flawed character, but he is so easy to love. Yeah, I’m aware of the age gap between him and Kaz, but things kind of evolved in a very natural way that I forgot at some point they weren’t the same age. He’s is 3 years older I think, not much but enough to have more maturity when it comes to life and things in general. I just hope that in this fictional world, they can build a safe relationship and if either of them feels it’s too much, they call it quits and move on.

The ending satisfied me, as the rest of the story. I’m not usually a fan of thrillers because I need to know who did it, how and when, so I skim read, but with this one, that had also coming of age, coming out, and romance, I was glued to the pages until the very end.

I recommend it and, after this second book by this author, I can officially say that I will continue reading his books in the future. There’s come coming out on January and I can’t hardly wait, it sounds great!

Title: A Summer Soundtrack for Falling in LoveAuthor: Arden PowellRelease date: October 29th 2018Number of pages: 318 (kindle edition)Good things about this book: It was very easy to get into the story!Bad things about this book: It dragged a bit in my opinion!Do I recommend it? Yes, give it a chance.Rate: 3/5

It was cute and infuriating!! All the miscommunication bothers me a lot! And here there was so much of it!! Kris kept postponing his coming out as bisexual because he didn’t want the dynamics of the band to change, but then by not coming out his potential relationship with Rayne, who he was falling hard for, was at risk.

I couldn’t have been hard for him to tell Rayne what he felt because he was surrounded by really supportive people. He was afraid, and he shouldn’t come out if he isn’t ready, but he had more than one occasion to speak his heart, to tell Rayne even in confidence, that he was feeling things beyond friendship. Without labeling it, without coming out, he could have been more honest with Rayne. You could see from miles away how smitten they were for each other, pining for no reason, just because they were stubborn and kept things to themselves.

I always kind of like books with music bands in them. Imagining what kind of music they do, how they behave on stage and out. This was really nice, it dragged a bit, though; I thought it was almost ending when it was only at 50%. Maybe cutting some things out it would have been so much better.

Nevertheless, it was a nice book, even with the weird cult and the random peacock!

“I barely know him. I guess that is every relationship. You start with nothing and maybe end with everything.”

Title: What If It’s UsAuthor: Becky Albertalli & Adam SilveraNumber of pages: 448 (hardcover edition)Good things about this book: The sweetest love story I’ve read in a long time, so true and relatable!Bad things about this book: I wanted a second epilogue, I wanted more!Do I recommend it? Yes, two of my fav authors collaborating will always be a YES from me.Rate: 5/5

Lately it’s becoming hard for me to write reviews. I don’t know why but I struggle a lot to come up with words that describe perfectly, or in very simple words, how I felt about the book I’ve just read. It’s infuriating. I can’t seem to write anymore, and my reviews skills are getting worse. Still I persist because I quit too many times and that’s something I’m trying to do for myself: finish what I start.
I decided, though, not to write much because this book needs to be lived. Whatever I write might spoil the experience, and you know how much I love that!

PLOT —
The plot is pretty simple: boy meets boy, boy loses boy, boy finds boy again, boys fall in love, but boys don’t live in the same city, are boys are destined to be heartbroken? All of that with a lot of musical references, videogames, coffee breaks, and very sweet characters in a beautiful city.

“An actual date with a boy. This is possibly, definitely the number one best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I have no chill about it. None whatsoever.”

CHARACTERS —
Arthur is really adorable: musical geek who talks a lot, believes in fate, and goes the extra mile to find a boy he thinks the universe wants him to be together with. Ben is sweet and confused, but he decides to believe in second chances and a little bit in fate so, even with his heart still healing from a bad breakup, he decides to trust his gut and try things out with this chatty boy he barely knows. The side characters are just as great, and yes, I kind of hated the ex-boyfriend, but it was just because I wanted so much the boys to be happy. So yeah, I liked them all.

It’s highly possible that this is the best I’ve ever looked. Either that or the douchiest. It could go either way.

THOUGHTS —
This book made me want to go see Hamilton again. I saw it in London last June and loved every second of it. I’ve already listened repeatedly to the soundtrack and knew it by heart, but it was like seeing it for the first time. Seeing as Arthur loves Hamilton and I love it too, I trusted his taste and listened to the whole soundtrack of Dear Evan Hansen and now I know what musical I want to see next. I’ve had Only Us stuck in my head all day! I love that song! Thanks, Arthur!!!

“Maybe this won’t work out and I won’t care about it ending. But I can’t get from A to B without us being A and B first. Live in the moment.”

CONCLUSION —
I’m not a 100% satisfied with the ending but that’s just me being picky. This book was just the right amount of fluffiness typical of Becky with a bit of “if life gives you lemons they’re probably rotten” typical of dear Adam. I keep thinking about the book, how I’ll love it when the movie comes out, how I want to wait at least a month before listening to the audiobook if it’s available, and how I picture these two boys living their best lives. I don’t usually go there, but I think I might need fanfiction. Yes, that’s how much I love it, I don’t want it to end.

It’s a queer thing, to have a vacant space inside you and not know what it is that carved out the absence.

PLOT —
A treasure hunt! I was looking for the perfect description for this book and that’s what came to mind, and it fits perfectly. Felicity sets off for a very peculiar adventure from Edinburgh and ends up somewhere mysterious. Felicity has a mission: she will get to medical school and become a doctor. But the men keep denying her that possibility even if she may be even more capable than most of them put together if given the chance. Men are absurd thinking she couldn’t do the same things they did just because they thought women were weaker. Weak where? Don’t make me laugh!

It is not a failure to readjust my sails to fit the waters I find myself in. It’s a new heading. A fresh start.

CHARACTERS —
Felicity is a sweet and ferocious girl and I love her with all my heart! She surrounds herself with a couple of very interesting girls. One from her past and one from her present, each of them with secrets and goals in mind that’ll somehow bring Felicity on this dangerous journey of discovery. I love those girls so much!! All of them are so special!! I was so happy to see Monty and Percy again even if it wasn’t for many pages. They are so ridiculously and adorably in love, it gave me goose bumps and I smiled a lot.

“Prickly?” I say. “I’m not prickly.”
“Felicity Montague, you are a cactus.”
“Debatable.”

THOUGHTS —
It was infuriating reading about how women were treated not long ago. It’s so actual, maybe not the same, but this superiority complex of men has to stop. It has expired, and it shouldn’t exist anymore. I’m truly sick of it: sick of all the mansplaining, the condescending smiles, the little derision laughs, the way men make us feel. I loved how Felicity challenged this injustice and made everything she could to change the unjust situation.

I have spent so long building up my fortress and learning to tend it alone, because if I didn’t feel I needed anyone, then I wouldn’t miss them if they weren’t there.

CONCLUSION —
Loved the story, loved the characters, and love the ending. I was ready to kick some butt and was glad to see it done by the amazing ladies in this book. If Mackenzie wants to give us one more book with the Montague siblings I’ll accept it with open arms, open heart, and with lots of fangirling.

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